Fire district equips ambulances with new CPR machines

1:10 PM,
Jan. 22, 2013

West Licking firefighter/medics Tom Barnhill, left, and Joel Galleher hold up a new CPR machine the fire district is using to help save lives. Get the full story in this week's Pataskala Standard, or go online to PataskalaStandard.com.

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When a person goes into sudden cardiac arrest, every second - and every chest compression - counts, and that is why West Licking Joint Fire District has outfitted its ambulances with a high-tech device that makes manual chest compressions a thing of the past.

West Licking first responders receive, on average, 20 to 22 calls per year involving residents facing cardiac arrest medical emergencies.

With the heart no longer able to pump blood to the rest of the body, 95 percent of victims die before they reach a hospital, according to the Heart Rhythm Foundation. That is why the district's first ...